Fist Fight Movie Review

Charlie Day and Ice Cube spar in Fist Fight, but when the most positive thing you can say about the movie is that Day somehow managed to not be completely obnoxious, that’s not enough. The comedy features a solid cast and plenty of absurd situations, but lacks the one essential ingredient: laughs.

For a comedy where I only laughed once, Fist Fight is oddly entertaining—at least in a rudimentary way. At only 90 minutes, the R-rated flick moves at a fast clip and establishes an amusing set of characters, most notably played by Tracy Morgan and Jillian Bell. While director Richie Keen and writers Van Robichaux and Evan Susser fail to find that oh-so-sensual comedy sweet spot, they still manage to bring to life a day in an absolutely chaotic high school where the students run amok, teachers talk about screwing their students and two grown men decide to beat each other senseless in the parking lot in a way that shows the filmmakers clearly had vision—and were not that far off from comedy gold.

Alas, those who don’t find gold end up emptyhanded, and that’s where Fist Fight finds itself. For whatever reason, the jokes just don’t land—save for a bit involving Day’s daughter at a talent competition. Day is actually pretty good in the film, but the reality is that he just isn’t very funny; and with Cube playing the stereotypical straight character, the film buckles under the lack of comedic chops.

Fist Fight isn’t a terrible movie; in fact, it’s mildly entertaining. But it’s a comedy that isn’t funny, and it’s hard to raise a fist, let alone two, for a non-funny comedy.